I just don't know what to say.
Source: tatoeba (1288)
Say
/seɪ/
Synonyms for "say" (509 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (102)
aboutabsolute powerabsolutismacknowledgeacmeaddressaffirmaffirmanceaffirmationafter-dinner speechallegationallegeallocutionalmostanimadvertannounceannouncementannunciateannunciationanswer
Show 70 more words
answer backapostropheapproximatelyapproximativelyarguearticulateascendancyassertassertionasseverasseverateasseverationassumeaustralian ballotauthorityauthorizationaveravermentavouchavouchmentavowavowalayeballotbe afraidbe-all and end-allbelieveblue ribbonboutbreak silencebreathebring outcanvasscanvassingcarte blanchecasting votechalk talkchampionshipchancecharismacharmchimechime inchoicechoruscitecloutcome backcome back atcome out withcommandcommentcommunicatecompetencecompetencyconceiveconcludeconclusionconsequenceconsiderconstituted authoritycontendcontrolconveycorduroycottoncounting headscrackcreditcreed
Strong matches (153)
cumulative votingdaresaydebatedeciding votedecisiondeclamationdeclarationdeclarededucedeemdelegated authoritydeliverdiatribedictumdirectorshipdisclosediscretiondivinedivine rightdivision
Show 120 more words
dominancedominationdominiondreamechoeffecteffectivenesseminenceemitenchantmentenfranchisementenunciateenunciationesteemeulogyexclamationexhortationexpectexpressexpressionfabricfacultyfagot votefancyfavorfeelfilibusterfirst placefirst prizeflash backfling offfor all practical purposesfor practical purposesforceforensicforensic addressformal speechformulatefranchisefree choicefree decisionfree willfull consentfuneral orationgathergenerallygenerally speakinggivegive acknowledgmentgive answergive expressiongive out withgive tonguegive utterancegive voicegogood feelinggrantgraveyard votegreetinghand voteharanguehare systemhaveheadshiphegemonyheighthighestholdhortatory addressimagineimpartimperiumimportancein round numbersinauguralinaugural addressincidental powerindicateindirect authorityinferinfluenceinfluentialityinherent authorityinninginningsinsinuationinsistinstanceinterjectioninvectiveipse dixitissue a manifestojeremiadjurisdictionjus divinumjustkingshiplawful authoritylay downleadershiplegal authoritylegitimacyletlet belet outleverageliplist systemlordshipmagnetismmaintainmanagementmanifestomarkmastershipmasterymaximummentionmoment
Noun(1 words)
Related words (254)
more or lessmostmouthnayne plus ultranearlynew highnononcontingent free willnontransferable votenotenylonobservationobserveopineopportunityoptionorationout withpalm
Show 208 more words
palmsparamountcypartparthian shotpep talkperorationpersonalitypersuasionphilippicphonatephrasepipepipe uppitchplacepleadplebisciteplebiscitumplumperplural votepointpollpollingpositionposition paperpositive declarationpotencypour forthpowerpracticallypredicatepredicationpredominancepreferential votingprefigureprepared speechprepared textpreponderanceprerogativepresentpresidencypressureprestigepresumepresupposepresurmiseprimacyproclaimproclamationprofessprofessionpronouncepronouncementproportional representationpropositionprotestprotestationprovisionally acceptproxypublic speechpurchaseputput forthput in wordsput itquestionquoteraisereactreadreadingrecitalrecitationrecitereckonrecordrecord votereechoreferreferendumreflectionregalityregisterreignrejoinreliefremarkrepeatreplyrepresentationreputerespondretortreturnreturn answerreturn for answerreverberaterightright to voterightful authorityriposterising voteroughlyroughly speakingroundroundlyroyal prerogativerulerumorsales talksalutatorysalutatory addresssay in replysay outsay sosay-sosayingscreedsecret ballotsentenceset downset forthset speechshoot backshow of handssignifysingle votesnap votesoundsovereigntyspeakspeak outspeak upspeechspeechificationspeechingspellstancestandstand forstand onstatestatementstraw votesuasionsubjoindersubmitsubtle influencesuffragesuggestionsupposesupremacysurmisesuspectswaytaketake fortake for grantedtake ittake the floortake to betalktalk backtalkathontelltestifythe saythe say-sothinkthoughtthrow offthrow outtimetime at battiradetop spottransferable voteturnunderstandupper handutterutterancevaledictionvaledictoryvaledictory addressverbalizevested authorityvicarious authorityviva vocevocalizevoicevoice votevotevotingvoting rightvouchweightwhackwhip handwhisperwordwrite inwrite-inwrite-in voteyeayeas and naysyeszenith
Verb(20 words)
Noun(5 words)
pronounced differencestate departmentsstate education systemsstate guidelinesstate the results
Adjective(1 words)
spoken words
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: pronounce, speak, state, tell, utter.
- Sentence evidence is available for say, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, wiktionary, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "say".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "say"
Keep "say" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "say" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "say", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "say" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
32 entriesShowing 16 of 32 words.
More specific
15 entriesCollocations
11 entriesget a saygive students a sayhave a sayhave a say inthe factsthe matterthe pointthe rulethe truththe wordsyour say
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
24 translations across 19 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- да ка́жем verb (imperative: let's say)
Burmese
1 entries- ပေါ့ verb (imperative: let's say)
Dutch
1 entries- laten wij zeggen verb (imperative: let's say)
Esperanto
1 entries- ni diru verb (imperative: let's say)
Finnish
2 entries- oletetaan verb (imperative: let's say)
- sanotaan verb (imperative: let's say)
French
1 entries- disons verb (imperative: let's say)
Galician
1 entries- digamos verb (imperative: let's say)
Georgian
2 entries- ვთქვათ verb (imperative: let's say)
- სიტყვაზე verb (imperative: let's say)
German
1 entries- sagen wir verb (imperative: let's say)
Hebrew
1 entries- נגיד verb (imperative: let's say)
Italian
1 entries- diciamo verb (imperative: let's say)
Lithuanian
1 entries- tarkim verb (imperative: let's say)
Manx
1 entries- abbyr verb (imperative: let's say)
Portuguese
2 entries- digamos verb (imperative: let's say)
- suponhamos verb (imperative: let's say)
Russian
1 entries- ска́жем verb (imperative: let's say)
Slovak
1 entries- povedzme verb (imperative: let's say)
Spanish
1 entries- digamos verb (imperative: let's say)
Swedish
3 entries- låt oss säga verb (imperative: let's say)
- låt säga verb (imperative: let's say)
- ponera verb (imperative: let's say)
Turkish
1 entries- diyelim verb (imperative: let's say)
Sample sentences
46 total sentences available.
They say love is blind.
Source: tatoeba (1578)
How do you say that in Italian?
Source: tatoeba (1649)
My friends always say I'm too calm, but my family always says I'm too annoying.
Source: tatoeba (1685)
Showing 4 of 46 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "say"?
Closest matches include pronounce, speak, state, tell, utter.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "say"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.